Focuses pronunciation
Focuses has 3 syllables. The stress is on the first syllable, "foh". Capital letters in the respelling show where the stress falls.
Say focuses and check it
Free, in the browser, no account needed. The clip is checked and then deleted.
Press record, say "focuses" once or twice at normal speed, then stop. You will see which syllables matched and what to change.
Focuses syllables
Focuses has 3 syllables: FOH-kuh-sihz.
- FOHfoʊ
- kuhkə
- sihzsɪz
FOH-kus-iz, three syllables, stress on the first. The plural ending is a full "iz" syllable because the word already ends in an s sound.
The -s ending adds a syllable, pronounced iz, because the base word ends in a hissing sound.
Sounds to watch
Weak syllables
The unstressed syllables use a short, relaxed uh (schwa). Rushing through them lightly is correct; giving them a full vowel sounds unnatural.
Short i versus ee
The short i (as in sit) is shorter and more relaxed than ee. Many learners stretch it into ee, which changes the word.
Gliding vowels
The ay and oh vowels glide: start on one sound and slide into a short ee or oo. Cutting them short makes them sound like eh and aw.
Focuses in a sentence
- The report focuses on the last five years of data.
- Each chapter focuses on a different city.
Read either sentence into the recorder above. The check judges only the target word, so the rest of the sentence can be rough.
What Speakeroo listens for
These are the pronunciation patterns from Speakeroo’s speech feature catalog that this target tends to expose. The check above reports the ones it hears.
- Final -s ending unclearUse the correct /s/, /z/ or /ɪz/ ending and keep it audible.
- Stress placed on the wrong syllableMake the correct syllable longer, clearer and more prominent.
- Final consonant devoicedKeep the vocal folds vibrating through voiced endings such as /b/, /d/, /g/ and /z/.
- Schwa not reducedRelax unstressed vowels toward a short neutral sound.
- Diphthong flattened into one vowelMove smoothly between both vowel positions.
Questions
How do you pronounce focuses?
Focuses is pronounced /ˈfoʊ.kə.sɪz/, or FOH-kuh-sihz in plain letters. It has 3 syllables and the stress falls on the first syllable, "foh".
How many syllables are in focuses?
3: FOH-kuh-sihz. The capital letters mark the stressed syllable.
How do you use focuses in a sentence?
The report focuses on the last five years of data. Each chapter focuses on a different city.
How is the ending of focuses pronounced?
The -s ending adds a syllable, pronounced iz, because the base word ends in a hissing sound.
Practice full sentences with feedback
Every practice mode is free and starts in your browser. A free account adds session history and progress tracking so you can see the same feedback improve over time.